Senior Sourcing Associate

directsupply; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Direct Supply, based in Milwaukee, is seeking a Senior Sourcing Associate to drive strategic supplier relationships for the National Brands portfolio. You will manage onboarding, contracts, business reviews and performance, while negotiating terms to achieve cost, service and continuity.

You’ll analyze costs and market trends, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and use AI-enabled insights to improve sourcing efficiency and risk mitigation, positioning Direct Supply as a strategic customer

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Engineering or related field.
• 3-6 years of experience in sourcing, negotiation or supply chain management.
• Experience with contract management, cost analysis and supplier relations.
• Proficiency with data analytics and reporting tools.
• Ability to travel by car and/or plane up to 10%.

Responsibilities

• Manage assigned supplier relationships, including onboarding, contract execution, business reviews and issue resolution.
• Develop and execute sourcing strategies for assigned product and service programs that support cost, service and supply continuity objectives.
• Negotiate supplier agreements and commercial terms to secure competitive programs and support business objectives.
• Execute risk mitigation strategies and maintain contingency plans to reduce the impact of potential supply disruptions.
• Analyze costs, market trends, supplier capabilities and industry insights to inform sourcing decisions.
• Use AI, analytics and emerging technologies to improve sourcing efficiency, insights and decision-making.
• Position Direct Supply as a valuable strategic customer to strengthen supplier relationships and identify opportunities for mutual value.
• Partner with internal stakeholders and suppliers to align sourcing activities with business priorities and objectives.
• Monitor supplier performance and risk and address opportunities to improve service, reliability and business results.
• Develop and improve sourcing tools and processes that simplify workflows, increase efficiency and strengthen supplier performance.
• Maintain supplier contracts, performance metrics and sourcing data to support accurate and informed decision-making.
• Share sourcing expertise, best practices, tools and insights that strengthen supply chain operations.

Skills

Systems Thinking & Problem Solving

Apply Judgment

Create & Shape Ideas

Influence & Collaborate

Learn & Adapt

Education

SCM degree

Job description

Position Summary:

Direct Supply is building the future of healthcare technology with industry-leading products, solutions and platforms to help improve the lives of millions of seniors and those who care for them.

In the Senior Sourcing Associate - National Brands position, you'll execute sourcing strategies and manage supplier relationships that support cost, service and supply continuity across the National Brands portfolio. You'll negotiate commercial agreements, analyze supplier and market performance and partner across the business to strengthen supplier performance, manage risk and support business growth.

Skills Needed:

• Systems Thinking & Problem Solving - Identify the right problems to solve by understanding the broader system - customers, stakeholders, processes, data, technology, and AI. Connect root causes, dependencies, tradeoffs, and upstream and downstream effects to develop practical, scalable solutions that improve the whole.
• Apply Judgment - Make sound decisions by evaluating data, context, assumptions, risk, and outcomes. Critically assess ideas and AI-generated outputs, consider interdependencies, voice a clear point of view, and own the results and impact.
• Create & Shape Ideas - Generate, test, and develop new ideas into useful, high-quality solutions and experiences. Use creativity, curiosity, technology, and different perspectives to see around the corner, innovate and develop ideas into outcomes that create value and scale.
• Influence & Collaborate - Build trust, communicate clearly, and work across boundaries to drive action and shared outcomes. Seek and integrate different perspectives, contribute ideas, work through dependencies, and help teams make progress together through change and ambiguity.
• Learn & Adapt - Continuously grow and adapt as technology, customer needs, roles, and work systems evolve. Stay curious, learn beyond your core specialty, experiment with new approaches, use AI to accelerate learning, and improve through feedback and setbacks.

What You'll Do and Impact:

• Manage assigned supplier relationships, including onboarding, contract execution, business reviews, performance management and issue resolution.
• Develop and execute sourcing strategies for assigned product and service programs that support cost, service and supply continuity objectives.
• Negotiate supplier agreements and commercial terms to secure competitive programs and support business objectives.
• Execute risk mitigation strategies and maintain contingency plans to reduce the impact of potential supply disruptions.
• Analyze costs, market trends, supplier capabilities and industry insights to inform sourcing decisions.
• Use AI, analytics and emerging technologies to improve sourcing efficiency, insights and decision-making.
• Position Direct Supply as a valuable strategic customer to strengthen supplier relationships and identify opportunities for mutual value.
• Partner with internal stakeholders and suppliers to align sourcing activities with business priorities and objectives.
• Monitor supplier performance and risk and address opportunities to improve service, reliability and business results.
• Develop and improve sourcing tools and processes that simplify workflows, increase efficiency and strengthen supplier performance.
• Maintain supplier contracts, performance metrics and sourcing data to support accurate and informed decision-making.
• Share sourcing expertise, best practices, tools and insights that strengthen supply chain operations.

Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Engineering or a related field.
• 3-6 years of experience in sourcing, negotiation or supply chain management, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience with contract management, cost analysis, supplier relationship management and strategic negotiations.
• Proficiency with data analytics and reporting tools to support sourcing decisions.
• Ability to travel by car and/or plane up to 10%.

Additional Items of Interest:

• APICS, CPSM, or equivalent certification preferred.
• Job to be performed in the location listed. Generous benefit package available.

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